ON PURE statistics, Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks concedes his AFL team is in for a tough night against undefeated Melbourne.

And Nicks says he wouldn't want it any other way as the Crows seek to snap a five-game losing streak.

"Excitement is the feeling," Nicks told reporters on Friday.

"We're looking forward to probably the ultimate challenge: a team that has got their confidence up, they're playing some great footy, they are well connected and they are working up and down the ground.

"So if you look at purely the data and the numbers, it's going to be a really tough night for our guys.

"We love that.

"We want to make it a fight.

"We will bring a fight to them ... because we will need to play at our best to challenge them."

Nicks highlighted his 15th-placed side's ability to apply pressure in attack as a key to causing a boilover on Saturday at Adelaide Oval against the Demons, whose defence has conceded the least scores of any club this season.

"Our ability to hold the ball in our front half is, at the moment, our Achilles heel," he said.

"Most opposition teams will have a look at the way we play and at the moment our inability to keep the ball in our front half, and teams moving against us, is the one we're looking at the most.

"We have got a few more small players in there with some speed ... (to) put some pressure on Melbourne.

"They have been obviously the benchmark, they have gone undefeated to this point.

"When they're challenged in their back half, there is some opportunity there.

"But they have shown this year that not many teams have been able to do it for too long."

The Crows have recalled spearhead Taylor Walker from a week's rest while small forward Ned McHenry returns after missing last week's loss to West Coast because of concussion.

And the Demons have dropped recruit Ben Brown in favour of Luke Jackson.